After the artichoke debacle, I realized I had set myself up for yet another failure with figs.

Sure, some kids will eat fig jam, probably even a fresh fig, but not my daughter, so the cards were stacked against me yet again.

Usually if you hand me fresh figs, I am going to poach them in red wine, serve them with some cinnamon and marsala whipped cream, or roast them wrapped in bacon and stuffed with a nice goat cheese; but these options are not best for a small child. 

So I started thinking back to when I first ate a fig, and the answer was easy. I remember going over to one of my friends' houses after school, and we were always offered Fig Newtons, and thus this month's challenge was accepted.

I assumed I would spend the entire day working on this recipe, I searched the internet, put together a few ideas, and shockingly, a short time later, I had homemade fig newtons. I was still sure upon inspection Chloe would turn her nose up, but when the moment arose, she tried them. In fact, she loved them. And just like that, I was back on top again, now what to do next month...

Here is my kid-friendly recipe to enjoy with your own families:

Homemade Fig Newtons

For the fig jam

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground

Remove stems, cut figs in half, and place in small sauce pan with remaining ingredients. Bring figs to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then puree in a food processor, to a smooth paste. If too thick, add a touch of water. If too thin, just reduce some more over a low simmer. You are looking for a thick paste, that can still be easily spread, about the consistency of your favorite jam.

For the shortbread:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 10 stick butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • (Optional) Zest of ½ lemon from the fig jam

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, on low speed for at least 5 minutes; add egg and vanilla. If using lemon zest, add it as well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt together, and slowly add to the creamed butter—scrapping down every couple of minutes. Mix until just combined, do not over mix.

Creating the "Newtons"

Roll dough out on a floured surface, about ¼ inch thick. Spread fig paste onto half of the rectangle, lengthwise. Fold dough in half lengthwise to cover fig paste and pinch edges to seal. Cut log into three or four pieces and transfer onto a greased cookie pan, or baking pan. Bake 25 minutes, and immediately remove, and allow to slightly cool before cutting into bite-size cookies.

PRO TIP: Chloe and I both decided these would have been great with a little icing on top of them, but decided they were also sweet enough without it, but please feel free to play around as much as you would like.  I also found that this made too much of the jam, which is really not a problem, I had about 4 ounces left over, which has already been put to good use on some biscuits I made a couple of days later.

We asked Shane Henderson, Executive Chef for Ben E. Keith Foods, to share his special month-by-month guide to introducing new nutrient-rich veggies into kids’ diets. Shane knows all about trying to please his own picky eater, his 6-year-old daughter Chloe, and has crafted a calendar complete with kid-friendly recipes to help parents win more mealtime battles. Check back with FITArkansas.com for Shane’s monthly installments!